The Deadly Song
by keelykelly
Summary: Frank and Joe are posing as 'wanna be' rockstars to investigate a mystery for the Network. When they swing through River Heights, they meet up with Nancy and recruit her help on the case. Ned and Callie aren't too thrilled about their dates spending too much time together.
1. Chapter 1

"Remind me _again _why we're at the mall when Bess _didn't _drag us here?" George Fayne asked, running her fingers through her shoulder length curly hair.

Nancy Drew laughed "I don't know. It just seems right to honor Bess while she'd out of town."

"Town?" George scoffed "You mean country!"

George's cousin, Bess Marvin had gone to Ireland to spend some time with a preschool friend that she had kept in touch with.

Ned Nickerson chuckled "I guess I'm standing in for Bess today."

Nancy looked up at her longtime boyfriend and grinned "You're the complete opposite, my friend."

It was _completely _true. Besides the fact that Bess was a girl and Ned was a boy, Bess was about five foot three with long, straight blond hair and blue eyes and slightly chunky. Ned was almost six feet with dark brown hair and eyes and was a constant sport player, which resulted in staying fit. He was currently on semester break from Emerson College.

"Wow." Nancy mumbled as she pushed open the doors to the mall "I noticed that the parking lot was unusually full. But could all these people fit into all those cars?"

The mall was _packed _to say the least. People were pushing and somewhere closer to the middle, there was a heap pile of screaming and cheering going on. Not to mention camera flashing.

"What is going on?" Ned shouted above the noise.

"I have no idea!" Nancy answered.

George swiped a brochure from a nearby rack "Um... let's see. Oh. There's a Pop group here." she answered.

Nancy looked at her "What? A pop group? In River Heights?"

"Yup." George nodded as she flipped through the pages "Apparently there's this pop thing going on with a bunch of amateur singers trying to get their big break, or something. That's what all this is. I've never heard of any of them so I don't care." she pointed towards the other side of the mall "Let's just get what we came here for and leave."

"Agreed." Ned agreed.

"Okay." Nancy nodded. They pushed through the crowd, slipping into the small stores when they could. They were almost halfway there when the loud speakers hanging from the rafters suddenly came to life with a loud roll down the piano. Then a voice rang out across the mall:

"_**Weeeeeeeeeeelllllllll!"**_

Nancy froze "Wait..."

"_**You know you make me want to SHOUT!**_

_**Kick my heels up and SHOUT!**_

_**Throw my hands up and SHOUT!"**_

"_**Throw my head back and SHOUT!"**_

Nancy turned towards the crowd but couldn't see over their heads "That sounds an awful lot like..." without another word she started to push through the screaming crowd as a girl's voice started singing.

"_**Come on now!**_

_**Don't forget to say you will.**_

_**Don't forget to say yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah."**_

"I knew it!" George exclaimed "She's crazy!"

"We'd better follow her." Ned shrugged, mainly curious to see who this singer that Nancy knew was.

When Nancy finally managed to make it to the front of the crowd, she was exhausted. But as soon as she spotted the 'popstars' she burst into laughter.

Just as she had thought, it was Frank and Joe Hardy and Callie Shaw!

Callie and Joe were doing the singing. Frank was standing off to the side bobbing his head to music and playing an electric guitar.

"Wow!" George laughed once she caught up "Who knew?"

"I know!" Nancy jumped a little then started clapping her hands along with everyone else.

It had been _months _since she'd seen the Hardy brothers! They hadn't talked much either because they both had been busy with cases that generally resulted in leaving the country.

Joe's hair was bouncing all over the place as he sang, making use of that microphone stand 'Elvis' style. Joe was already a 'lady-killer' with his blond hair and bright blue eyes. And him jumping around and singing _really _made him look cute.

Then she turned her attention to the older Hardy that wasn't being half as active. She felt her heart skip a beat like it normally did at the sight of him.

Right at that moment, he looked at her. A bright smile crossed his face and his dark brown eyes started to sparkle.

She sent him a small wave which he nodded in response.

When the song ended a minute later, the crowd went crazy!

Joe waved at them "Thank you! We must be off!"

Security split the crowd and the three, with their band started to leave. Pausing to sign random autographs and give random fans hugs.

When Frank was finally close enough, Nancy waved at him and was about to call his name but one look in his eye told her not to. When he reached her he gave her a quick, popstar style hug and quickly whispered "Meet you later." then he was gone.

"Come on." Nancy said to her friends "Let's go."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

"**Are you sure **this is where they want to meet?" George asked.

"Positive." Nancy nodded.

"I didn't expect Frank and Joe to show up." Ned commented.

"Neither was I." Nancy chuckled "I can't wait to find out what they've been up to."

"She is good!" Joe's voice said behind them "She must have read our minds!"

Nancy slid out of the booth and turned to face the brothers "Did you two give up the investigating business to go famous?"

Frank shook his head "Not in a million years."

Joe grinned "Only because he won't let me." he struck a pose "Can't you see it? Rock star spy!"

"No." Nancy laughed.

Joe shrugged "It was worth the try." then he held his arms out to her "Give me a hug."

Nancy quickly hugged him then moved out of the way so George could get her hug and turned to face Frank where she was greeted with a wide smile.

"It's good to see you, Drew."

She stepped into his arms and hugged him tightly "It's good to see you too, Hardy."

She knew the hug lasted longer than necessary but it just felt so... right.

"Hey look," Joe teased "They're on last name basis!"

George laughed "I swear they call each other by their last names more than they do by their first."

Nancy shook her head then smiled at Callie "Hey."

Callie nodded "Hi, Nancy."

Ned stood from his seat and shook Frank's hand "Long time no see."

"Sure is." Frank responded.

Then everything was quiet... tooooo quiet.

Joe leaned over to George and mumbled "Awkward!"

George snorted "You're not kidding."

"Shall we get something to eat and catch up?" Nancy volunteered, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Food! Yes!" Joe cheered.

As they slid int their seats, Frank, Joe and Callie were on one side, Ned, Nancy and George were on the other.

Joe squirmed in his seat by the wall "Why do you always stick me in the corner?"

Callie grinned "Because you're not home enough for you mom to do it."

They all laughed then ordered their food. As soon as the waitress was gone, Nancy leaned forward in her seat to talk to Frank who was sitting directly in front of her "What's the mystery?"

Frank sent her a slow grin that reached all the way to his eyes as he leaned forward to match her position on the table "What makes you think there's a mystery?"

She raised an eyebrow "Because I know you, Frank Hardy. You wouldn't be posing as a 'wanna be' pop star unless there was."

"Ouch." Joe whistled "And it's rock star." he nudged his brother in the side "I told you you should be more like me. You might actually take Nan by surprise."

Frank shook his head as he returned his attention to the red head across the table "I doubt it."

Nancy felt her face start heating up and desperately wished she had something to distract herself.

"So about the case." George said.

Just then their waitress returned and started handing out the food.

Frank grabbed a napkin and while no one was paying attention scribbled something on it real quick, then he slipped it under the table.

Nancy felt a slight nudge on her foot and glanced down to see the napkin caught in between Franks shoes, which were very close to her.

She nonchalantly snatched the napkin and looked at the note. It read:

_Can't talk about case here._

_Network._

She folded the napkin and stuck it in her pocket then nodded at Frank and started eating her food.

The Network was a top secret government agency whom the Hardys teamed up with every once in a while. No one was supposed to know about the Hardy's work with them. Not even their father. Which also meant, no Callie and no Ned.

They talked companionably about their previous cases and whatnot.

"I thought he'd been killed!" Joe exclaimed "I mean he got a knife thrown into him!"

"But Joe, you forgot we were at a theater." Frank chuckled as he patted his brother's back "It had a slide in edge."

Joe put on a pout "But you sure acted like you'd been killed."

"That was the point."

Nancy smiled as she watched the banter between the brothers.

Even though Joe was acting sour, she could see he was enjoying the attention. Frank reached over and ruffled his brother's hair.

"_They're so close." _she thought with a smile. Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she had had a sibling. But Joe had become the little brother she'd never had. Frank on the other hand...

She tried to see him as a brother. But it was hard when every time he looked at her it made her heart skip a beat.

Frank glanced at her just then and sent her a quick wink which made her face heat up.

Apparently though, Ned saw it because he tensed.

Frank cleared his throat when he realized what he had just done and slid his arm around Callie's shoulders the same time Ned put his arm around Nancy.

And there came that awkward tension again.

"So..." George said "What's your newest case?"

"We're just keeping an eye on a couple of our competitors." Joe shrugged "People can get crazy when there's a competitive spirit going around."

"Don't I know it." George shook her head "People go downright Crazy!"

George was into all kinds of sports and competitions, so she had plenty of experience with over -zealous competitors.

Joe winked at her "Good thing you've got body guards for most of your competitions."

George raised an eyebrow "Body guards?"  
"Yep." Joe looked out the window, pretending to ignore her "You would have been lost in Copper Canyon without me."

"Oh yeah right!"

Nancy chuckled and tapped her fingers absently on the table.

Frank grinned. He knew she was _dying _to know about the case. And in all honesty, he was dying to tell her.

"Dessert?" the waitress asked as she returned.

"Sure." George nodded.

"Definitely!" Joe piped up.

Ned and Callie agreed.

Nancy was about to speak when she noticed Frank glance at her from the corner of his eye and smile slightly. Then she realized what he was thinking. Perfect getaway!

Frank stretched in the booth "I think I'll pass. That meal filled me up!" he slid out of his seat "I think I'm gonna go get some air."

"Mind if I join?" Nancy asked casually "I'm pretty stuffed myself."

Frank shrugged "If you wish."

She didn't miss the glint that came to his eyes as he watched her slide out.

"I can come along." Ned volunteered.

"That's okay." Nancy smiled at him "Enjoy your dessert."

Joe sent a slight nod at his brother as the two left the cafe.

**(Attempting another ND-HB story! Woohoo! And yes, Ned and Callie are here... Awkward! Oh yeah! You see that cover picture up there? Guess what... I DREW IT! And colored it! I'm soooo proud of me *pat self on the back*. It's my first attempt at a kissing couple, so... yup!**

**Well, Laterz! =D)**


	2. Chapter 2

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes before Nancy lost her patience "Okay! Tell me what's going on!"  
Frank laughed quietly "You are _very _impatient, Drew."

"Come on, tell me!" she pleaded. Then she crossed her arms "And you can't tell me that Joe was telling the truth."

"As far as Callie knows he is." Frank said with a pointed look "We needed a third member and Callie was the only one available."

"So what's _really _going on and how did it land in River Heights?"

He grinned "Actually, the reason we're in River Heights is my fault." he raked a hand through his dark brown hair "I asked the director, who contacted someone who got a hold of the Network who hired us, if we could drop through here and pick up some back up."

Nancy nodded slightly "Ah. Must be pretty serious if you're enlisting the help of a girl." she nudged him with her shoulder "Right?"

He chuckled "We need some more brain power." he stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged "Every detective thinks differently. But with you, we're generally on the same page."

Nancy nodded in understanding. It was true. It seemed that her and Frank's brain waves traveled in the same direction. It wasn't too uncommon for them to finish each other's sentences or say the same thing at the same time.

"So tell me what's up."

"Well, it's pretty much the normal." Frank answered "Things keep happening with the competitors. Wires being cut. Strings missing off of guitars. At first they thought it was practical jokes."

"Naturally."

"But then it started getting more serious." he shook his head "A drum set was smashed. Someone cut one of the stages. Thankfully the person who fell through that wasn't hurt badly. Just got a little bruised." he glanced at her "But one team _did _have to drop out because their lead singer got _seriously _injured."

Nancy stared at him "Do I want to know how?"

"Someone set up a bomb in his hotel room." Frank let out a huff of air "It wasn't big enough to extend further than the one room, but enough pressure to slam him into the wall and give him a major concussion."

Nancy frowned "Is there any connection between the groups that were sabotaged?"

"No." He shook his head "Except for the director, Jason Biggs."

"Tell me about Jason." She said as she flipped her strawberry blond hair over her shoulder.

"I knew you were going to ask that." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a photo and handed it to her "The older man is Jason, the younger one is his twenty-four year old son, Dylan. Taken last week."

Jason Biggs appeared to be right around fifty. Maybe a tad younger. He had dark gray hair streaked with white, cut Marine style. His eyes were a steely gray.

Dylan had bleached blond hair that looked like he had filled with gel and run his fingers through it til it stuck straight up. Then tips were red. He had the same eyes as his father.

"Jason was in the Marine Corp for five years. His wife, Henrietta, died when Dylan was twelve." Frank continued "Dylan's always dreamed of being a world famous rock star but..." he chuckled "He can't sing... at all."

"Can he play an instrument, at least?" Nancy asked as she handed the picture back to him.

"He _thinks _he can play the guitar." He answered "Bu-t. His father tried to get him lessons but Dylan refused to take them saying he could do it all on his own, so..."

"I take it you've heard him sing." Nancy said, trying to hide her smile.

"More than once." Frank cringed "It's not too pleasant."

She laughed "So. When do I get to meet all these people?"

"Tomorrow." he looked down at her and grinned "I take it you're on board."

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed "Of course! How could I refuse?"

He slipped a friendly arm around her shoulders "It's good to see you again, Nan."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

"**Alright," Frank said **as he pulled the car into a parking lot "Our last name around here is..."

"Fredricks?" Nancy guessed.

Frank chuckled "Yep. Callie's a Thompson."

"It wasn't my choice." Callie said from the back seat where she sat between Joe and Ned.

"Alright." Nancy looked around the area.

There was a large stage set up about five hundred yards away. The area littered with people, main from the ages of nineteen to twenty-five, walking around. Some carrying instruments and papers.

There were several trailers lining the back.

"Biggs pays for all the performers to stay in hotels." Joe said as they all slid out of the car "I'm sure Frank told you he was a millionaire."

"Didn't have to." Nancy responded.

Frank pointed towards the trailers "Those are costume and climate-controlled instrument storage. And where they stash all the electronics and..."

"The bathrooms." Joe added quickly "That's _very _important to know."

George rolled her eyes "Typical Joe."

"Come on," Frank smiled "I'll introduce you to a few people then take you to see Mr. Biggs."

"And Dylan." Joe shook his head "That dude has _problems._" he rolled his eyes "Starting with his attitude."

"And speaking up Dylan." Frank lowered his voice "There he comes."

The young man in question was stepping from one of the trailers. His eyes glued to a piece of paper in his hand.

"Hey Dylan!" Joe called "What's up?"

Dylan looked up at them then jogged over "Nothing. Just about to take my new song to dad."

"Hey, we were heading that way." Frank said "Would you like us to take it for you?"

"Ah, sure man!" Dylan stuck the paper in Frank's hands "Thanks." then he turned his attention to George "The name's Biggs. Dylan Biggs."

George raised an eyebrow "Yeah. I know."

Joe frowned "What are you up to today, Dylan?"

"Oh you know." he sent a wink George's way "Super star stuff. Catch you later." then he walked off.

"Woooow." George laughed "He really _does _think he's something special, don't he?"

"Oh yes." Frank rolled his eyes "And everyone has to agree with him because they could get kicked out of the running if they don't."

Joe snorted "He's just a big show off."

Nancy chuckled and sent Frank a grin "Shall we go see Mr. Biggs?"

Frank nodded, his own amusement evident on his face "Yes. Let's."

~*~*~***The-Deadly-Song***~*~*~

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Drew." Mr. Biggs said, giving her a heart handshake "I hope your time with us will be enjoyable. If not slightly."

Nancy smiled "Thank you."  
"I do hope you don't happen into any danger." Mr. Biggs added "After what happened to out one team." he shook his head "It's a shame."

"Don't worry about that, Sir." Joe said, slinging an arm over the red head's shoulders "Nancy Drew isn't happy _unless _she's in danger. Right?"

"Well..." Nancy chuckled "I _do _find myself in those situations quite a bit."

Mr. Biggs wasn't as harsh as Nancy had first believed he would be. His steely eyes gave him a hard, calculating look. But he was actually quite friendly. But she could see him getting mad _really _fast if someone messed with one of his friends.

"As I told these boys here," the man continued "I am at your complete disposal. Anything you need to know, just ask."

Nancy nodded "What time are rehearsals?"

"Uh.. every day from noon to about three. Why?"

"Just a question."

Frank raised a slight eyebrow and glanced at her fropm the corner of his eye then laughed ever so slightly and shook his head.

"Well," Mr. Biggs said "I must go. Lots to do and so little time to do it in."

"Have a nice day." Nancy waved at him as he walked out the door. She counted to ten then ran around to the other side of his desk and got onto the computer.

"What are you doing?" Joe, Ned and Callie asked at the same time.

"I'm just guessing." Frank said as he walked around to stand behind Nancy "You're printing off a list of all the performer's room numbers and rehearsal times. Right?"  
"Spot on, Hardy." Nancy laughed "You know me too well."

He cocked his head slightly "Well actually..."

"You were about to do it anyways." She finished "I know." a moment later two pieces of paper came from the printer with the list of names and numbers "Okay. We're done." she stood up from the chair and stuffed the papers into her purse "He should really lock that thing some time."

"Why didn't you just ask him for that?" Callie asked slowly.

"Because," Frank answered "He would have considered it invasion on the performer's privacy." he shook his head "There's always some places where a person refuses to go."

"And who knows." Nancy added "We may need to break into one of those rooms sometime."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

"They're not too bad!" George said as she and the others listened to one of the bands rehearsals.

"They're great!" Callie answered "They're one of the best groups here!"

Nancy nodded in agreement "I can see why."

The group, the Rising Stars, as they called themselves, consisted of three girls. The lead singer, a tall brunette with her long hair pulled up into a high ponytale was Jaylee. The lead guitarist had golden hair that was streaked with white blond from the sun, was Gina. And the drummer was a seemingly shy red headed girl who's hair was tied in low puppy-dog ears. Her name was Tess.

The rest of the back up band was provided by Mr. Biggs.

When the girls ended their song, the bystanders clapped.

"Thank you!" Gina called as she bowed teasingly "We know we know. We're amazing." then she and the others left the stage.

"Y'all were great!" Callie called.

"Thanks." The thee girls walked over to them.

"Who's the newbie's?" Jaylee asked.

"Visiting friends." Frank answered.

"I'm George Fayne." George said as she shook the popstars' hands "This is Ned Nickerson and Nancy Drew."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Gina said cheerfully.

Tess simply nodded and smiled. Then she gasped "Oh! I forgot my drumstick!" then she turned and ran back for the stage.

"She is lost without her drumsticks." Jaylee shook her head "Trust me. They're like her teddy bear."

Nancy nodded "I guess we all have an addiction to one thing or another."

"And some more than others." Jaylee responded.

Joe was about to say something where there was suddenly a loud creaking sound.

The small group spun around in just enough time to see a large bar of lights that was hanging from the rafters of the stage come loose and head straight towards Tess!

**(Dun-dun-duuuuun! I just felt like dong that. Laterz!)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Tess!" Jaylee and Gina screamed.

The girl looked up and with a scream hit the stage as the large bar of lights crashed to the ground.

"Tess!" Gina cried as she ran up into to stage "Are you okay?"

Tess peeked out from behind the drum set at them. The lights had caught on the top of the largest drum and stopped, leaving a large dent in the instrument "Yep." she answered as she bounced to her feet.

Nancy let out a sigh of relief "Thank goodness."

"You scared us half to death!" Jaylee exclaimed.

Tess held up hands in innocence "I didn't do it!"

"We thought you were going to be crushed!" Gina added breathlessly.

"You should have been _under _the thing!" Tess picked up her drumsticks "Got 'em!"

"Hey, Nan." Frank whispered from where he was inspecting the fallen lights "Come here."

She walked over and sat back on her heels beside him "What's up?"

"Look at this." he held up the head to a bolt "Someone sawed through the bolts that were supposed to be holding that thing up there."

"How long had they been up there?" She asked.

"Since yesterday morning." he answered "The set up crew would have noticed if the bolts had been warped."

She nodded slightly "Unless someone on the setup crew is part of it."

"Exactly." he looked up at the roof where the lights _had_ been "I would love to get a look at the other end of the bolts."

Nancy smiled slightly "So you could see how far it had been cut to determine how long it could have stayed up there?"

He chuckled "You really do know me too well, don't you Drew?"

"Only as well as to be expected." she replied as she slightly nudged him with her shoulder.

He grinned before turning back serious "We've got our work cut out for us." he looked over at her "We're going to need the help. I'm glad we were able to get you."

She returned the smile as their eyes locked momentarily "So am I." there was a moment of silence before she blinked and turned back to the light _"Get ahold of yourself, Drew."_  
"Hey, Nancy." Ned called "You ready to go?"

Nancy cocked her head "Go... where?"

Ned frowned "We had a date scheduled for this afternoon. Remember?" he raised an eyebrow "Unless you want to take a rain check... again."

Nancy tucked her hair behind her ear "No." she turned to face Frank "Do you mind?"

"No." He shook his head "Joe and I will keep looking around. You go... have fun."

She sighed with relief "You're the best. Thanks." then she jumped down off the stage and followed Ned to his car that he had drove.

Joe stepped up to his brother "You getting the feeling that something's eating Ned?"

Frank shook his head "I know what's eating him." he rolled his eyes "And it drives Nancy crazy."

Joe stared at him confused "What?"

"Nothing. Come on." Frank jumped down off the stage "We'd better go tell Mr. Biggs about this."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

"Ned what is wrong?"Nancy asked as they drove down the road "You don't have to be so sour to the Hardy Boys."

"I don't have anything against the Hardy Boys." Ned responded as he stared straight out the windshield.

She let out a long huff of air "You've been tense ever since they showed up."

"You think you observe so much." he mumbled.

She stared at him in shock "Ned..."

"Sorry." he sent her a small smile "Okay. I guess I'm a little prone to getting a little jealous."

She raised an eyebrow "A little? What do you have to be jealous about anyways?"

"I don't know." he shrugged his broad shoulders "You and... Frank... have a lot in common."

Nancy laughed "Frank? Don't tell me you're worried about Frank."

"Well... yeah."

"Ned. He's got a girlfriend." she shook her head "You met Callie."

"I know. But..."

"Ned. Frank and I are good friends, yes." she shrugged "We have a lot in common and are generally thinking the exact same things but... we're just friends. Okay?"

He nodded slightly "Okay."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

"Hey Dudes!" Dylan waved at them "George." he winked.

Joe frowned "What's up, Dyl?"

"Just wanted to invite the lady to some hear me sing."

"She'd rather stick with us."

George raised an eyebrow "Joe. I think I can speak for myself."

Frank stepped around behind Dylan and mouthed "You do _not _want to hear him sing!"

George put on a slight smile "Thanks for the invitation Dylan, but I haven't seen my friends in ages, so..."

"Alright. Another time then." Dylan turned to leave then stopped "Where's the other three?"

"We're just missing two." Joe grumbled.

Frank chuckled "Nancy and Ned had a previous engagement."

"Oh." Dylan nodded "So, which friend was working on your car earlier?"

Joe's eyebrows lurched and he shot a glance at his brother "Working on our car?"

"Yeah. When you went to see Dad, I saw someone working on your car." Dylan ran a hand through his blond spiked hair "They were under your hood working all casual like." he glanced towards the parking area "Right... oh. The car's gone. Must have been someone else's. It was parked right beside you guy's rental."

Frank shot Joe an alarmed look "That must have been Ned's car!" then he shot off towards the parking lot.

"Where are you going?" Dylan called after him.

Frank leapt over the door of the convertible and slammed it into reverse "I can only imagine what someone could do under the hood of a car." he said to himself "And none of it's good."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

Nancy watched as the traffic light turned green.

The ride had been quiet for the most part. Every once in awhile one of them would comment on something then it'd go quiet again.

Ned turned onto a main road and put on a little more speed. There wasn't much traffic out and the weather was perfect for a drive.

She smiled slightly as she rolled down the window, allowing the fresh air to circle through the car.

Several minutes later the car suddenly gave a jolt. She frowned "What just happened?"

He glanced at her "Nancy... I don't want to scare you... but we just lost our breaks."

"What!?"

He jerked on the steering wheel "And our power of steering is gone!"

"But theres'..."

"I know!" he pulled against the steering wheel as hard as he could but the car barely responded.

Nancy watched in horror as the road suddenly curved up ahead.

At the speed they were going, they'd smash straight through the guard rail!

But right at that moment, another shot past them.

Nancy leaned forward in her seat "Frank?"

Frank Hardy glanced back at them then slammed on the breaks. The rubber grabbed at gravel of the road, sending small rocks and smoke flying up as he jerked the steering wheel to the right, swerving the car directly in front of Ned's.

Barely a second later, the air was split by the sound of metal crunching together.


	4. Chapter 4

Nancy was slammed against the restraint of her seat belt as the two cars crashed into each other.

Loud shrieking squeals filed the air as the cars slid across the road. Then with one final jolt they stopped.

Nancy slammed back into her seat and then just sat there catching her breath for a moment.

"You alright?" Ned asked a minute later.

"Yeah." she breathed "You?"

"Fine."

Nancy slowly unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car "Frank?" she called over to him "Are you alright?"

He sent her a thumbs up and a weak smile "Sure."

She sighed with relief "Thank goodness."

Just then, a cop car came screeching to a halt beside them and Chief McGinnis stepped out. A scowl was on his face as he watched Frank crawl out of his car, sliding over the trunk.

"Young man, this is what happens when you speed like that!" he pointed his finger at the boy "Do you have any idea who you could have hurt!?"

Nancy hurried over to the chief and tapped his shoulder "Um... Chief?"

He looked over at her then raised an eyebrow "I might have guessed you'd gotten stuck in this Nancy. Do you want to press charges?"

"What!? No!" She shook her head quickly "Chief McGinnis, he's a friend of mine. And he... saved my life. Mine and Ned's both." she walked over to the guard rail and looked down the steep incline that led to another busy road and shivered "Ned's car lost it's breaks and power of steering somehow. Frank stopped the car from crashing through the rail and landing in the traffic below."

McGinnis slowly nodded his head "I see..." then he turned to Frank "Well, young man. I believe I owe you an apology."

Frank smiled and shook the man's hand "You were just doing your job."

"Well, I'll still need to put this on record." McGinnis pulled a notebook out of his pocket "What

is your name?"

"Frank Hardy."

"Frank Hardy?" The Chief raised an eyebrow "I've heard of you. Your brother's Joe?"

"Yes Sir."

"Mm-hm. I've heard of you." McGinnis nodded then glanced at Nancy "And not just from the news either." a few minutes later he'd taken his report then promised to call a tow truck then left.

Nancy turned to Frank and smiled "How on earth did you know we were in trouble?"

"Well," Frank answered "When we went to go tell Biggs about the light, we ran into Dylan. This was about five minutes after you'd left. He told us that someone had been under the hood of our car." he nodded towards the two vehicles "Turns out it was Ned's car. Not ours."

"But why would someone mess with my car?" Ned asked.

Nancy snapped her fingers "They probably thought you were Frank!"

"What?" the two boys echoed.

"From a distance, to someone who doesn't know both of you you look similar." Nancy pointed out "Plus, Frank, Joe and I were in the rental."

Frank nodded in understanding "While Ned, Callie and George were in Ned's car."

They'd ridden that way so that The Hardy's and Nancy could discuss the case and the Network without the others overhearing.

"They saw Ned and Callie get out of the same car and assumed he was me." Frank said slowly.

Nancy nodded "Exactly. Because, they assumed you'd be riding with your girlfriend."

There was a brief moment of silence as the conversation sank in.

Nancy looked over at Frank, her expression serious "You know what this means, don't know?"

Frank returned the look and nodded ever so slightly.

She sighed "You, Joe and Callie are the next targets."

Another moment of silence followed before Frank sighed and ran a hand through his hair "I's sorry, Nan." he shook his head "I didn't expect things to get this dangerous." he sent her a small smile "Not so soon anyways. Look, I'll understand if..."

"Are you suggesting I'd quit?" she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow "If so, you are sadly mistaken."

Ever so slowly a smile spread across Frank's face til his eyes began to sparkle "Just wanted to hear you say it."

She chuckled slightly letting out a relieved breath. The one thing she'd always appreciated about Frank, even though he was cautious and tried to protect her, he _never _tried to make her stop investigating. And he never doubted her ability to help. He was probably the one person who actually understood her love for sleuthing and wasn't always staring down her back warning her to be careful.

Just then another thought struck her and she whirled around "Frank Hardy you could have killed yourself!"

Frank's eyebrows lurched "Possibly. But if you had smashed through that barrier you _would _have been dead. And probably several others." she went to respond but he silenced her by clamping a hand over her mouth "Nancy! It's fine. Really." then he chuckled "It happens all the time. Which you know."

Ned cleared his throat uncomfortably "Well... here comes the tow truck."

**~*~*~*The-Deadly-Song*~*~*~**

Joe had been pacing back and forth since Frank had leapt into the car and taken off. He didn't like it when Frank did something spontaneous without thinking it through. That was _his _job to throw caution to the wind!

"Joe!" Callie finally exclaimed "Please stop you're making me nervous!"

"He's making me dizzy." George said with a slight groan.

"Well I happen to wonder what became of my brother and my friend." Joe said indignantly.

"We're all worried." George pointed out calmly "Nancy's been in tampered vehicles so many times it's not even funny." she chuckled "From tampered breaks to radio bombs."

"So has Frank." Callie pointed out "I think they'll be fine." but even as she and George glanced at each other they knew they were worried.

Joe let out a groan of frustration "That's the thing I hate about girls! They _act_ so calm!"

"Thing I hate about Joe," Callie retorted "He's so dramatic."

"Hey!"

"It's true."

George raised an eyebrow "Do you two _always _go on like this?"

"Ask Frank." Joe responded "He's the one always rolling his eyes."

Just then a cab pulled up to the curb and Nancy, Frank and Ned slid out.

"You're back!" George waved happily "We were getting worried!"

Nancy laughed slightly as her friend hugged her "Sorry. We had to file a report for Chief McGinnis."

"So what happened?" Callie asked.

"My line." Joe snorted then he asked innocently "So what happened?"

"From what I could tell," Frank answered "Someone tampered with the breaks so that the cables were loose. After a little bit of driving they just came disconnected."

"And that same person punctured a hole into the Steering Fluid tank." Nancy added "So we had no breaks and no control."

George shook her head "How did you stop?"

Nancy smiled and pointed at Frank "He's a fast driver."

Joe nodded slightly "That explains why you showed up in a taxi." then he groaned "Aw man! That thing was a rental! Dad is going to kill us when he hears about this!"

"I'll talk to my dad to take half the bill." Nancy added quickly "After all, it was wrecked saving mine and Ned's life."

There was a moment of silence before Joe spoke "I'm starving."

"Like always." Callie said with a grin "It's a wonder you're not as big as Chet."

"Callie Sh-" Joe started but Frank placed a firm hand over his mouth.

"Joe!" he hissed.

Joe stared at his brother confused for a moment then suddenly realized that he had been about to call Callie Callie Shaw instead of Callie Thompson. He shrugged slightly and Frank released him.

"I'm still hungry. Can we go back to the motel?"

"How about we go to my place?" Nancy volunteered "It's just down the road, has more comfortable seating and... doesn't have listening ears on the other side of a three inch wall." then she added with a wide smile "And a bonus. Hannah was in a cooking mood today so the house will be _filled _with sweets."

"Alright!" Joe pumped a fist in the air "To the Drew residence for lunch!"

"As soon as we get another car." Frank injected.

"You can call for one from my house." Nancy tapped his arm "It's like five blocks down the road."

Joe looked at his brother and grinned "Which you knew."

Frank simply rolled his eyes "Lead the way, Nan."

Joe let out another whoop "To tasty treats! Please tell me she made cinnamon buns!"

**(I have returned to planet earth! I was, uh, kidnapped. By Aliens. After they scanned my brain and found it empty they returned me to earth and pledged never to raid earth again! I'm a hero! Okay, I'm done. Sorry for the FOREVER long wait for an update. But here it is! Laterz!)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Thank you." Frank said as he returned the phone to its cradle "Well," he turned to face Nancy who was standing behind him with a plate of chocolate chip cookies "The rental place said they'd drop a car off here." he took one of the cookies and grinned "They weren't too happy to hear about the wreck. Something about reckless teenagers."

Nancy chuckled "I think it's just your reputation with a car, Hardy."

He raised an eyebrow "What's that mean?" then he took a bite of the cookie.

"Every time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, disaster strikes." she answered as-a-matter-of-a-factly "And you know I'm right."

He leaned towards her "Oh really?"

She placed her free hand on her hip and cocked her head, a half smile on her face as she looked up into his sparkling eyes "Mm-hm."

"Hey guys," Joe said as he walked into the area "Are you hogging the cook..." then he stopped dead in his tracks "O-h. Never mind." then he scurried away, a goofy grin on his face.

Frank stared after his brother for a moment before he looked back down at Nnacy and nearly jumped out of his skin. How had they gotten so close?

Nancy's face flushed a deep red "Uh... cookie?" she put on her best grin and held the platter out to him.

Frank blinked then cleared his throat "Uh... no thank you. I'm gonna go... watch for the car." then he quickly retreated from the room.

Nancy took a deep breath to calm her now pounding heart. It was strange how he could still do that to her.

"Hey, Nan." Ned said, poking his head around the corner "Why don't you come to the living room and sit down?"

"Yeah. Sure." she smiled slightly then followed him from the room.

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

Frank leaned against one of the pillars of the porch and stared out at the road.

Joe slipped out the door and stepped up beside him "Hey, Bro."

"Hey." Frank mumbled.

"Yo, Dude. I didn't mean to spoil the moment." Joe said, watching his brother from the corner of his eye "Seriously if I had known you were about to..."

"To _what_?" Frank snapped "_Nothing _was about to happen." then he stepped off the porch into the yard.

Joe rolled his eyes "Sure. Every time you and Nancy are together _nothing _happens. That's the problem!"

"Joe." Frank said in a warning voice.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Joe pushed a lock of blond hair from his face as he followed his brother across the grass "You and Nancy are friends. You and Nancy are detective partners. There is absolutely positively _no _attraction between the older Hardy and the daring, beautiful, red haired detective, Nancy Drew. "

Frank groaned. Did he _ever _quit? "Joe..."

"You never think of how much you have in common."

"Joe..."

"You never find yourself thinking of the time you two were 'married' in Egypt."

"Joe..."

"You never find yourself in these strange predicaments in house foyers by the phone where your standing so close you could almost..."

"Joe! Look out!" Frank's urgent shout tore Joe from his reverie and he spun around.

Barreling across the grass headed straight for him was an old, beat up chevy car, followed by a newer Mercedes!

"Move!"

Joe suddenly felt himself tackled across his middle, then he and Frank were rolling across the grass. The sound of the tires cutting through the yard passed just a few inches from their heads.

"Here's a tip, Joe." Frank said as he rolled to his knees "The license plates are normally on the back."

"Ha ha." Joe growled "What's their problem anyways?"

Frank raised an eyebrow as he pointed over his brother's shoulder "Why don't you ask them?"

Joe looked back and his eyebrows lurched.

Two men got out of the chevy the same time two got out of the Mercedes. All of them were wearing black ski masks.

"Do all you bad guys go to the same school?" Joe taunted as he held up his fists "Because you all have the same uniform!"

Frank gave the group a quick once over.

Three of them were all just about the same build and height. The last one was six foot seven and broad. His weight looked like it was probably somewhere around three-fifty.

"Get them!" The large man boomed, his voice sounding somewhat like an old train. Loud. Gravelly. Dangerous. And at his command, all of them popped out a switch knife in each hand.

As the group rushed towards the boys, Joe lashed out a hard right and caught one of them across the jaw, but another was right behind him.

The smaller one who had gone after Frank tried a swift karate kick at his head, which he easily ducked, then kicked the attackers feet out from under him.

"These guys are resilient." Joe mumbled.

"Do you even know what that means?" Frank asked, as he skittered backwards to avoid a deadly thrust from one.

"Nope."

Just then, Nancy came tearing out of the house. She didn't bother with the porch stairs, she just jumped straight from the porch to the Big Man's back, her arms snaking around his neck.

"Watch it, Nan!" Frank called "They've all got knives!"

"Alright."

"Get her off me!" Big Man shouted, his face starting to turn a dark red from lack of oxygen.

Two of the guys had been going at Joe, now one turned to go assist the Big Man.

"Watch your back, Nancy!" Joe warned as he sent a knife flying across the yard.

She didn't really have a choice. She dropped to the ground and ran over to where the Hardy Boys were now standing back to back.

Big Man cleared his throat as the color began to return to his face.

"Welcome to the party." Joe grinned "Thought you were going to miss all the fun."

"Do I ever?" She quipped.

"You're still out numbered." Big man barked

"Actually," George called from the porch "Try recounting!"

Big Man spun around. Standing on the porch was George, Callie and Ned.

"Where have you guys been!" Joe called "Eating pizza?"

"Actually," Callie stepped to the ground "Yes."

"What!?"

Big Man let out a low deep growl "We'll meet again." then he snapped his fingers and he and his cohorts jumped back into their vehicles and drove away.

Joe started for the driveway but Frank grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him.

"Let's go after them!" Joe begged "We can still catch them!"  
"We don't have a car, Joe." Frank reminded.

"Let's take Nancy's!"

Nancy shook her head "I'm afraid mine is in the shop jacked up beside the rental and Ned's car."

Joe's jaw dropped "Why!?"

"Because I had someone stuff toilet paper in the radiator and cut the brake wires last week end." she answered with a shrug.

Frank chuckled "I guess we made good timing."

"How did you get to the mall yesterday?" Joe asked exasperated.  
"Ned's car." Nancy smiled amused.

"Who were those guys?" Ned asked, changing the subject.

"The Barber Shop Quartette." Joe grumbled "Do you think they know Elvis Presley's Jail House Rock?"

Frank shook his head "The license plates on both vehicles were covered in mud."

Nancy let out a huff of air "Typical." then she turned to the others "By the way you three, thanks for coming out."

"It's what we do." George said casually "Run around behind Nancy Drew, keeping her out of trouble."

"_Trying _to keep her out of trouble." Ned corrected "We never can manage."

Callie nodded "Sooo know that feeling."

Just then, something shiny hanging from Nancy's neck caught Frank's attention.

"Um, Nancy?" Ned said a second later "What are those?"

Nancy looked down, her face instantly flushing as she spotted the objects that _had _been safely hidden behind her shirt.

Frank's eyes widened slightly as he realized what they were.

They were the rings that had been given to her when they had gone to Egypt and pretended to be married!

"Nancy?" Ned said slowly, his eyebrows lowering "Why are you wearing an engagement ring and wedding band?"

**(dee-daa-duuuuuuummmmmm! What will happen next? Tune in... some day.**

**Anyhoo... thanks for all the F-F's and Rs peoplez!**

**Laterz!)**


	6. Chapter 6

A heavy silence hung in the air as Nancy slowly closed her hand around the two rings.

"Nancy?" Ned said, his voice carrying a tinge of anger.

"They were my mother's." She answered quietly.

Frank's eyebrows lurched. He did _not _see that one coming.

Ned's face relaxed and he nodded "Oh. They're pretty." then he clapped his hands together "So! I heard Hannah say something about a pan of cinnamon buns before we came out."

Joe whooped "They're all mine!" then he took off for the house, the others right behind him.

Nancy slowly walked up onto the porch. She couldn't say her conscience wasn't eating her alive for lying to Ned about the rings. Then she noticed Frank was still outside too, carefully watching her. With a sigh she walked over to the whitewash railing of the porch and leaned against it, staring out into the yard.

"Hey." Frank said as he leaned against the railing beside her.

"Hi." she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Lying while working undercover was one thing. Doing it just to put your boyfriend at ease was another.

"Why'd you lie about the rings?" he asked quietly.

She laughed softly and shook her head "Good ol' Frank. Always to the point."

He grinned "I find it suits me best." then he bumped her arm slightly "So?"

She let out a huff of air and tucked her reddish hair behind her ear "I didn't tell Ned about Egypt." she answered "Well I _did _I just didn't tell him the _whole _assignment."

"As in, the name changes?"

"Exactly." she continued to stare out into the yard "Ned gets so jealous so easy that I was afraid he'd... he always jumps to conclusions and never gives me a chance to explain before he blows up and I thought... I just didn't want him to..." she sighed and shook her head again. She could only imagine what was going through Frank's head right now. He was one of the most honest, straightforward guys she knew. She slowly looked over at him "You think I'm being ridiculous, don't you?"

Frank didn't respond, he just reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys and handed them to her. There were probably a dozen keys on there. All were connected to a larger red clip. There was a small random odds and ends of keychains.

She sent him a questioning look "What's this for?"

He didn't necessarily look at her, but kinda glanced at her from the corner of his eye "Look at the keychains."

She did as instructed until she came to one that was a small, plastic, rather flat box that was connected to a thin two inch chain which connected it to the clip. Inside the small bow was a golden ring.

"Is that..?"

Now he turned to face her, leaning one arm against the railing "I told Callie that it was a thank you gift from a little old lady in a convenient store who we stopped from getting robbed." He smiled slightly "She thinks it's just a cheep keychain."

Nancy's eyes widened "Why did _you _lie about it?"

His took the keys back from her and put them in his pocket "Callie has a slight tendency to get jealous." his eyes sparkled slightly as they met hers "I told her about the case, just not the assignment that got us out there."

She couldn't help but stare at him for a long moment. Then she laughed slightly and shook her head.

"We think too much alike." Frank said with a grin.

"Way too much." she agreed "But I guess that' why we work so well together, right?"

"Definitely." he reached out and took her hand "I won't tell if you won't."

She nodded "You've got a deal, Hardy." then she felt herself being pulled into a gentle hug.

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

"Alright," Joe said as he locked the doors to the new rental "Hopefully nothing will happen to this one. They may not give us another one if we wreck two in one day."

After they had finished lunch and the new car had arrived, they had decided to return to the stage area and meet a few more people. And maybe pick up some clues.

"Hey you guys!" Gina waved to them as she walked past, a guitar slung over her shoulder "I heard about the accident. Everyone okay?"

"Perfect." Nancy answered.

Tess sent them a small wave then ducked her head and hurried to catch up with her friends.

Joe grinned and straightened his shirt "I'm going to... go investigate over there." then he jogged off.

Frank rolled his eyes "Without fail. Every time."

"I also noticed he's attracted to red heads." Callie commented "Why doesn't he ever flirt with you, Nancy?"

"He _did_." Nancy answered "When we first met."

Frank chuckled "It didn't take him long to realize it was hopeless." then he looked around "Alright, Drew. Where do you want to start?"

"Take a guess." she grinned.

"Meet the other contestants."

"Bingo."

Ned crossed his arms and mumbled under his breath "I could have guessed that one."

"Well," Frank said slowly "Instead of having to chase them around, the contestants are all required to have dinner together. You could meet everyone then in the same place."

Nancy nodded "Sounds good."

"Hey, fans!" Dylan called loudly as he joined them "Wuz up?"

Frank shrugged "Not much."

"Dude, I like told everyone how you sped out of here." Dylan said quickly "It was epic!"

"O-kay."

Ned rolled his eyes "Should have seen the end of it."

"So, how's George, my girl?" Dylan said as he slung an arm around George's shoulder.

George stiffled a groan and slipped out of his arm "Fine. But running a very high fever. It's contagious."

Dylan simply laughed.

Nancy slightly pulled on Frank's elbow and nodded towards the now empty stage.

Frank glanced over at the area and saw that everything had been left untouched. The long pole of lights was still smashed halfway through the drum set. But there was one thing that hadn't been there before: A ladder. A smile worked its way across his face as he looked back down at her and nodded.

Then Nancy leaned back slightly and caught George's eye "Distract him." she mouthed.

A disbelieving look passed over George's face but it was immediately replaced with a smile in Dylan's direction "So, what kind of music do you like?" that sent the boy into a very dramatic explanation of all his favorite music.

George shot Nancy a look that said "You soooo owe me!"

"Come on." Frank whispered, then he and Nancy jogged over to the stage.

"Maybe _I _should go up." Nancy said as they reached the ladder "The bolts were closer to the middle of the beam and I'm lighter than you."

Frank sucked in a deep breath then let it out slowly "Okay. Don't fall."

She grinned as she started up the ladder "I think I can manage."

He shook his head as he backed up to watch "Hey, don't take it to heart. High wire professionals say the same thing."

She laughed, but when she reached the top, she became serious and slowly started to crawl across one of the large beams that was about six inches wide., hoping and praying it was sturdy. Knowing that the thing was designed to be taken down and put back up didn't help much.

Beside the support beam was a large metal rod that the lights had been bolted to. When she reached when one of the bolts were, she stopped. The ends were still stuck in the rod. She pulled one of the bolts out and glanced down at Frank. That's when she realized that she was nearly thirty feet in the air. She shook her head slightly "Hey, Frank." she called "Catch." then she dropped the bolt down to him.

He quickly pocketed it then looked up at her "Alright. Come on down."

"Hold on just a second." she answered, her attention on something over her head.

Frank watched her uncomfortably "Nan..."

She squinted in the darkness of the roof. Something in a nearby corner didn't look quite right, but doe to the shadows, she couldn't quite make it out. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly pulled her feet up beneath her and started to stand.

Frank clamped his teeth down on his tongue to keep from saying anything.

She managed to straighten all the way up, being sure to keep her balance. As he eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed that what she was looking at was a large wire. It led to the main generator for the stage, which at the moment was off. But the more she looked at the wire, the more she realized that there was one thing not right with it. There was a large two inch gap where the rubber covering had been stripped away and the wires inside had been sliced. Then her attention was brought to the rod that held the large fabric curtains that was barely a foot away from the wire.

"_This whole place could burn down in a moment." _she realized _"When those wires spark the curtains will go up in flames and everything else."_

"Nancy?" Frank called up to her quietly as not to startle her.

She glanced down at him "Alright. I'm coming down." but before she even had a chance to move there was a slight buzzing sound then all of the sudden the large wire began to shoot hot, deadly sparks everywhere. Nancy's hands shot up to protect her face from the sparks. The sudden movement causing her to lose her balance and the next moment she was falling straight for the stage!

**(Okay peoplez, I promise that Nancy isn't the only one that almost gets killed in this story! Joe and Frank get their turn too! Unless of course they decided to run and hide from me... anyhoo. I came across something very interesting the other day. Well, interesting to me.**

**Whenever Nancy thinks of Ned, it's said he's her 'long time date', right? (they've been dating since book 7 of the ND series)**

_**But**_** when it mentions Nancy and Frank, it says they've been friends ****_FOREVER._ So, how long have they actually known each other?**

**By the way, does anyone own the Super Sleuths series? That's when they meet. Just wondering.**

**Thanks for the favs, follows and reviews everybodiez!**

**Laterz!)**


	7. Chapter 7

Frank bit back a groan as he pushed himself to his knees on the rocky ground. But honestly, it wasn't the rocky ground that was making him feel grumpy. It was the fact that Ned was now gently placing Nancy on her feet.

The moment Frank had seen her start to lose his balance, he'd started forward. But he hadn't even been able to take a step before someone had sideswiped him and sent him flailing off the side of the stage.

The next instant, Ned had caught Nancy right before she hit the ground.

"Thank you." Nancy let out a deep breath as she smiled at Ned. Then she turned her attention to Frank who was picking himself up off the ground "Are you alright?" she asked as she walked over to the side of stage. It had to have been a five foot drop. Not too tall, but far enough to hurt.

"Yeah." Frank nodded with a half-smile. He refrained from looking at Ned, knowing if he did he'd end up glaring. Then Nancy would wonder what that was all about and... well. He didn't feel like troubling her with it.

The next instant there was a slight whooshing sound as the large curtains suddenly burst into flames.

"Come on!" Frank held his hand up her, which she quickly grabbed and he helped her jump down. Ned was right behind them.

In a matter of second, the who stage was on fire. The hot flames ate at the wood and instruments and equipment.

"Dudes!" Dylan exclaimed "What... How..."

"Is everyone alright?" Joe asked as he joined them, followed by everyone else who had been around.

"I think so." Nancy answered.

"What happened?" someone from the crowd shouted.

"Yeah!" another person piped up.

Nancy frowned "Could someone go get Mr. Biggs, please? He should know about this."

Someone nodded and ran off.

Frank touched Nancy's elbow "What _did _happen?" he whispered "What were you looking at?"

"Tell you later." she answered.

He nodded and backed away.

Mr. Biggs showed up three minutes later, his face red with rage "Who is responsible for this!?" he boomed.

Everyone looked at each other nervously.

"Do you have any idea how much this stage costs? Do you?" the man continued "And all the work that goes into putting it up and taking it back down just so you people have a place to practice! "

Nancy tapped the man's shoulder "Mr. Biggs?"

"Yes?" he asked, suddenly looking weary.

"May we talk to you? Alone?"

He nodded "Come with me."

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

"Now, what is it Miss Drew?" Mr. Biggs asked as he sank into his chair.

"When is the next big performance?" Nancy asked.

"Um... let's see." he flipped open his appointment book and scanned the dates "We had to bump a few things forward to make the swing through here." he shot Frank a quick glance "But... our next performance is in six days, in Paris, France."

Nancy's eyebrows lowered "Thank... you." she said slowly.

Frank cringed slightly.

"Is that all you needed?" Mr. Biggs asked, then he folded his hands on the desk "How is the investigating going?"

"Well," Frank started "We don't have any solid..."

"Joe, update Mr, Biggs." Nancy said, cutting the older Hardy off "I need to... take care of something." then she grabbed Frank's arm and yanked him out the door.

Joe stared after his brother and Nancy for a moment before he turned back to Mr. Biggs and flashed a big cheesy smile "Well..."

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

"Frank Hardy you did _not _tell me this was a traveling case!" Nancy snapped as she released Franks arm and turned to face him. Her hands her on her hips and a scowl on her face.

Frank shrugged slightly "I thought we had time."

"When does the plane leave?" she asked.

"The day after tomorrow."

"Frank!" she threw her hands in the air "That give us like... two days! How could you think we could solve this case in two days?"

"Because it wouldn't be the first time." he answered calmly "You're an amazing detective, Nancy, and we make a _really _good team." he chuckled slightly "You're the only girl I know that Joe actually _wants _to work with." he pushed his straight brown hair up off his forehead "You should have heard him when I asked Callie to come."

"Well, Callie's not a detective." Nancy snapped as she crossed her arms, scoring a curious look from Frank "You still should have told me!"

"Nancy, it's fine." How he managed to keep his voice even, she wasn't sure "If we don't figure it out here, Joe and I will continue with the investigating in France. And everywhere else this thing goes."

"But..."

"I wasn't expecting you to suddenly pack up and take off to travel the globe, Nancy." He added gently "I just knew that if we could get you in here for a couple of days you'd be able to find something to give us a start. Because tight now.,.. we're clueless."

Nancy let out a loooooooong breath of air. It was completely _impossible _to stay mad at Frank Hardy "Frank. How many times in my life have I said no to a case?"

A slow smile started to creep across his face "Never. You can't."

"How many cases have I stopped in the middle of?"

"None."

She shook her head slightly then looked up to meet his dark brown eyes "If this case travels to France, then I'm going too."

With a laugh, Frank swept Nancy into a bear hug "I was hoping you'd say that."

A moment later, Nancy, reluctantly, pulled away from him "By the way, Are you sure you're okay? You hit the ground pretty hard."

Frank forced his smile to stay in place "Yeah. Sure."

She smiled then turned back to the office, but he grabbed her arm to stop her "You never told me what you saw. And I'm guessing it caused the fire." he thought for a moment "It was a stripped wire, wasn't it?"

"Right on, Hardy." she replied "Stripped straight to the copper."

Frank frowned "You could have been seriously hurt."

She just smiled "I didn't know the place was going to catch on fire when I crawled up there. And besides..."

"You can take care of yourself." he finished for her, a slight smile on his face "Trust me. I don't doubt it."

"Sometimes I think you're the only one."

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

Later that day, Nancy invited the Hardy Boys and Callie back to her place for dinner. She'd invited George and Ned too, but they had to get home.

After getting permission from Mr. Biggs to skip out on the manditory contestant dinner, they set off for the Drew home.  
When they pulled into the driveway Nancy noticed the Sedan right inside the garage and smiled "Dad must be home."

"Where was he?" Joe asked as they climbed out of the car.

"Helping out a friend." Nancy answered "He was having some legan problems." when she stepped in the door she called into the house "Dad?"

Carson Drew came out of his office a moment later grinning "There's my girl! Hannah said you were off investigating." there was a quick hug exchanged between the father and daughter before Nancy turned to the others in the doorway.

"Dad, you remember Frank and Joe Hardy?"

"How could I forget?" Carson nodded "The duo that my daughter keeps getting into trouble with."

"Actually," Joe said "She normally gets _us _into trouble."

"And this is Callie Shaw." Nancy added.

"Well, it's nice to have you all here." Carson said with a nod "Hannah has dinner ready." then he thought a moment "That explains the extra plates."

"Um... Dad?" Nancy said slowly as they walked towards the dining room "If it should come down to it, may I... go to Paris?"

Carson raised an eyebrow then turned to face the young men, an obvious fake suspicious look on his face "Alright. Which one of you boys is trying to whisk my daughter to Paris and steal her heart from me?"

Joe pointed at Frank "She's too old and stubborn for me."

Frank's face turned a deep beet red "J-Joe. You're crazy!" he growled as he shoved his brother in the shoulder.

Carson grinned wickedly "Frank Hardy. So _you're _it!"

Nancy grabbed her father's arm "Um... Dad. Callie is Frank's girlfriend."

Carson's face went blank right before he turned almost as red as Frank "I was just kidding." then he cleared his throat and hurried towards the dinning room.

Nancy sent the three an apologetic shrug "He was just kidding."

"Don't worry." Callie said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes "We all know how fathers are."

"Let's eat!" Joe said loudly, glad to have done his mischief for the day "I'm starving."

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

After dinner, Callie volunteered to help Hannah with the dishes and Joe and Carson got into a conversation about sports. Something Nancy hadn't known interested her father.

All during dinner, Frank and Carson had talked about different stuff concerning legal matters and whatnot. That was one thing about being the son of a secret investigator, Lawyers didn't intimidate him none.

"Hey Nan." Frank said, slightly tugging her elbow "Can I talk to you outside?"

"Sure." she led him out into the back yard.

The sun had long since set, leaving the stars and full moon to shine over the area. A soft breeze blew through the trees making the summer night nothing short of perfect.

"You know the Gray Man, right?" Frank asked as they strolled across the grass.

"Only from what I've learned from you." she answered "Why?"

"He's going to meet up with us in Paris if we don't managed to get this solved by then." he looked down at her "I think you should meet him."

"I'd love to." she nodded then added with a teasing grin "I'm sure he'll be pleased."

"Don't count on it." Frank chuckled. There was a long moment of silence before he looked up at the sky "It seems like forever since we were kids."

"I know." she shook her head "Just a couple of kids running around town thinking we could solve all of life's problems."

"Hey, we actually _did _solve a few mysteries back then."

"I know. And had out faithful compaion, Joe." she laughed softly "Why were things so easy back then?"

"Maybe because our imaginations were bigger." he looked down at her and grinned "We'd probably have a million reasons and suspects right now if we were still six."

"Tell me about it!" Nancy shook her head "Joe insisting it was aliens. You pretty sure that they were after the mayor..."

"And you rolling your eyes and saying we were both wrong while refusing to state your suspicion." Frank finished, giving her a slight hug.

She smiled as she subconsciously stepped closer to him "Those were the days. What was your favorite case we solved?"

He fell quiet "Honestly?"

"Of course, because you know I'll know you're lying."

"Right. My protable mind reader." he shook his head then took a deep breath and once again they lapsed into silend.

She frowned "Frank?" then she noticed he was glancing over his shoulder "What?" she whispered.

"Nan," he said just above a whisper "I think we're being followed."

**(Okay, I _am _working on a sort of collection of stories to stick together about Nan and the Hardy boys growing up together and everything they've been through.**

**Thanks for all the support my favorite readerz! (which by the way is all of you ;)**

**Laterz!)**


	8. Chapter 8

Nancy glanced back ever so slightly "You sure?"

He took her elbow and kept walking "He's crouched in those bushes over there."

She snuck a peek in that direction and was just able to make out a faint outline of a person "Do you think it's the saboteur?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know." he answered "But I'm not going to take a chance and find out." he grabbed her hand and they took off at a sprint.

"What if it's Joe?" she asked a moment later "Just pulling one of his tricks."

"It's not Joe." Frank stated "That person was too lean to be Joe."

Nancy simply nodded. She knew that Frank knew his brother in the dark as well as he did in the light. She took a glance back "He's still following. I think I know where to lose him."

"Lead the way, Drew."

They ran for a good ten minutes, cutting back through allies and across parks til they were back at the Drew home.

"I think we lost him." Nancy said as she looked around.

"And me." Frank chuckled "I thought I knew this place fair enough. Now I don't know which way is which."

She laughed softly "I've learned how to avoid getting trapped... for the most part."

"Aw, you wouldn't be Nancy Drew if you didn't get captured _sometimes._"

She laid a friendly, yet firm, punch into his arm "And you wouldn't be Frank Hardy if you didn't get arrested every now and then."

"Ouch." he grinned as he rubbed his shoulder and looked around "I think you're right. I think we lost him."

Just then the front door swung open and Joe bounded out.

"Where have you two lovebirds been?" He asked, though he didn't appear to be teasing.

Frank frowned "What's up, Joe?"

"Come inside, there's something you need to see."

Nancy and Frank looked at each other then followed the younger Hardy into the house.

"Where have you two been?" Ned and Callie asked in unison.

"We stepped out to talk about the case." Frank answered "Then someone started following us."

"Following you?" Carson repeated.

Nancy nodded "We cut around town and lost him, I think,"

"Nancy, you could have been hurt!"

"Dad" she smiled slightly "Frank was with me, I wan in absolutely no danger. And I can take care of myself."

Carson shook his head "Stubborn. Just like your mother." then he smiled "But yes, I am glad that Frank was with you."

"Do you think it was the saboteur again?" George asked "Trying to find a way to hurt Frank or Joe again?"

"It's possible." Nancy answered.

"Don't be too sure." Frank said from where he was looking at a piece of paper that Joe had handed him.

"Ah the paper that Joe's been pacing about almost since you two disappeared." Callie commented "What does it say?"

Frank handed the paper to Nancy, a grim look on his face.

She took it curiously then read it out loud "Get off the case Drew or you'll be next."

"How could anyone know?" Joe exploded.

"Because we're in River Heights." Nancy answered "Everyone here knows me."

"Nancy, this is serious." Carson warned.

"I know." She leaned back against the door jam "Why are they warning me off already? We don't know anything!" she looked at Frank questioningly "Do we?"  
"Not that I know of." Frank said slowly "But you know what this means, right?" when no one answered her continued "That car accident this morning. We thought they'd tampered with Ned's car thinking it was mine because from a distance they thought he was me."

Nancy's face suddenly showed recognition "But now..."

"It may have been aimed at you all along."

The room fell quiet for a long moment before Joe spoke "I know what you're going to say, Nan. But a dangerous case wouldn't be complete without it." he cleared his throat to give himself a professional look "Nancy, you don't have to continue helping with this case if you feel it's too dangerous."

Nancy laughed "Not on your life, Little Brother. I'm sticking this out til the end."

Joe grinned "Aw! Frank did you hear that? She called me a little brother!"

Frank rolled his eyes "You've _always _been a little brother, Joe."

"I know. But it sounds special when she says it!"

Nancy laughed as Frank once again rolled his eyes. She always had seen Joe as a brother. But for some reason, she could never get that same feeling about Frank, no matter how hard he tried.

Frank on the other hand was trying to figure out why the 'little brother' comment had unnerved him so much... then it struck him. There was only one way Joe could become Nancy's brother... or brother-in-law.

Frank quickly shook off the thought, then he caught Joe grinning at him "We'd better get back to the hotel."

"I'm pretty tired." Callie agreed "It's been a long day."

"Sure has." Frank nodded "Thanks for dinner, Hannah."

"Come by anytime." Hannah smiled "I'll happily provide any food you'd like."

"See you tomorrow." Joe waved at Nancy even though she was standing right in front of him, then he flashed her a mischievous grin "Sis."

Nancy's face reddened slightly and Frank couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking the same thing he had a moment ago "Bye Joe."

"Aw man! I'm back to Joe again."

Frank grabbed Joe's arm and pulled his towards the door "Come on _little brother. _It's time to go."

Nancy, George, Ned, Carson and Hannah watched as the Hardy's and Callie pulled out of the driveway and left.

"Those are some nice boys." Hannah said "Joe's quite active and Frank... well."

"Yeah." Nancy said then she thought to herself _"Callie's a lucky girl"_

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

When the Hardy's reached their hotel room Joe plopped down on one of the twin sized beds "I saw that face."

Frank raised an eyebrow "What face?"

"That mental flashback to that case in Egypt." Joe answered "How is it you can't seem to get _pretending _to be married to Nancy out of your system?"

"We are not having this conversation _again._" Frank groaned. Seriously, Joe brought it up often.

"I don't get it Frank." Joe said with a shake of his head "You'd swear on your life that you were in love with Callie, yet you're so jealous that Ned has Nancy you turn green!"

"I do not."

"No one notices, true." Joe slightly nodded his head back and forth "But I'm your brother. I can see through that calm mask you put on." he crossed his arms "Everytime you're around Ned you're thinking 'he is not right for her!' and 'He doesn't trust her enough' and 'doesn't he know that's just the way Nancy is?"

"Well it's true." Frank said before he could stop himself "He doesn't trust her. He gets angry when she risks her life. He gets jealous when she spends more time on a case than with him. I mean..." he cut himself off, instantly regretting the outburst.

Joe chuckled "You've always been so protective over her. We both have. Like I said, Nancy's like the sister I never got." he leaned over to see his brother's face better "But I get the feeling that you don't see Nancy as a sister, do you?"

Frank refused to answer, which only made Joe know he was right.

The older Hardy frowned and stalked towards the bathroom. The moment he swung open the door there was a small explosion that made him jump back in shock. Then a large cloud of smoke instantly filled the room. Then smell was undeniable.

"Joe!" Frank gasped as he scrambled backwards "It's chloroform!"

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

"Frank? Joe?" the voice sounded far away. Kind of like an echo "Are you guys in there?"

Frank forced his eyes to open. His mouth felt like it was cotton. What had happened?

"You guys are sleeping in too late!"

"Frank?" that was Nancy's voice "Joe?" then she spoke to whoever else was outside "Something must be wrong."

Frank managed to push himself to his knees, trying to get rid of the fog in his brain.

There was a slight jiggling of the doorknob then the door opened and George, Callie and Nancy stepped in.

The three girls instantly gasped.

The whole room was wrecked. Clothes had been yanked from the closet and dressers and were strewn across the floor, many of them shredded. The mattresses had been slit and the feathers from the pillow were scattered everywhere. The small couch had been turned upside down, it's cushions torn to bits.

Joe was laying on the floor between the two beds, half covered in clothes and feathers.

"It smells like chloroform in here." Nancy said as she rushed over to Frank. George went to Joe "What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Frank answered hoarsely "Something exploded in the bathroom and next thing I knew the room was spinning." he rubbed his head slightly "Is Joe okay?"  
"He's fine." George answered "How about you?"

"I'm okay." He started to stand up but Nancy stopped him.

"Maybe you should just catch your breath for a moment."

He sent her a slight smile but stood up anyways and looked around the room "What were they looking for?"

"I don't know." Nancy scanned the room "We didn't have any clues, did we?"

Frank was about to shake his head when he suddenly remember the cut bolt they had retrieved earlier. He's stuck it in his jacket pocket. He quickly crossed the room to where his jacket was hanging over the back of a chair and dug through the pockets "The bolt's gone."

"It must have been an actual clue." Nancy shook her head with aggravation "And now it's gone."

"At least you two are alright." Callie said "The room isn't, but you two are."

Joe was now sitting up and rubbing his head "Frank, next time tell me to run and _then _open the bathroom door."

Frank smiled slightly "Sure, if next time you warn me there's a chloroform bomb in there."

"Ir's a deal."

Nancy chuckled and shook her head. Leave it to the Hardy boys to joke around after an incident like this.

George got up and looked around, then she frowned and picked up a white T-shirt off the floor "I think you're friend left a message."

Nancy took the shirt from her and looked at it, her eyebrows raising.

One the front of the shirt, written in dripping red paint was the words: Do or Die? No, Do and Die. Quit now or pay later.

**(Too much action for one chapter? What do you think? A stalker, two threat notes, and chloroform. What do you think? Well, thanks for all the support guyz! **

**Laterz!)**


	9. Chapter 9

Joe yawned and ran a hand through his tussled hair as they stepped into the hotel dining room "You'd think being _forced _to sleep would leave you more rested."

"Let's just find Biggs and tell him what happened." Frank said as he scanned the room "He's over at the buffet tables."

"You guys go ahead and secure us a seat." Nancy told George, Callie and Ned "We'll be right back." as the three headed off, Nancy stepped between the two brothers and looped her arms through their elbows "We're being watched again." she whispered.

The two looked down at her "What?" they said in unison.

"Big Guy is watching us from the garden doorway." she answered, keeping a bright smile on her face.

"So, what do you want to do?" Frank asked, resisting the urge to look back.

She frowned in thought "What _can _we do at the current moment? I don't think he'll try anything either because it's the middle of the morning and there's so many people around."

"But he's keeping an eye on us." Joe added "So what do we do?"

"Stick together." Nancy answered "If any of us wander off alone we're sitting targets. Especially since we're not exactly sure who they're after."

"Deal." Joe nodded "We'll stick to you like glue."

Nancy raised an eyebrow then her face lit up "Oh look! There's Tess!"

"Where!" Joe spun around quickly.

Frank laughed "Yep, you're going to be the one to stick to her forever."

Joe rolled his eyes "Ha ha ha. Very funny, Drew."

Nancy just laughed. Teasing Joe about his attraction to pretty girls was one of the highlights of her day. But she knew perfectly well that Joe would run out on a date in an instant if he knew she or Frank was in trouble. It was just a quality that Hardy Boys shared and she admired. Completely loyalty. Especially to family and friends.

"Come back to earth, Drew." Frank chuckled "We're almost to Biggs."

"Anyone else finding it ironic that we're being watched by 'Big Man' and working for Mr. Biggs?" Joe asked "Anyone?"

"Hello, Children." Mr. Biggs greeted "How can I help you?"

Frank and Joe quickly laid out the story of the chloroform and the wrecked room. The man's face became worried and slightly angry.

"This person _must _be stopped!" He growled "But I don't want you kids to get hurt."

"Don't worry about us." Nancy said "We've been in worse situations."

"Just try and keep what happened a secret." Frank added "We don't need the other contestants worrying more than they already are."

"Of course." Biggs nodded then he ran a hand over his head "By the way, our plane leaves tonight at eight."

"Tonight?" the trio echoed.

"Yes. We managed to get an early flight." he clapped his hands together "We've got a building in France where we can practice and hold our shows. Rehearsals begin in two days! Then the show starts. TV people will be everywhere."

"Thanks for the warning." Nancy smiled slightly "I guess we better... pack."

Frank nodded and put on his best smile "Well, you'll be able to meet the Gray Man... finally."

"True." Nancy spun a strand of hair around her finger "I forgot to warn George. But she may be ready in time." then she quickly hurried towards their friends.

Frank stared after her til Joe jabbed an elbow into his side "Hey. Maybe Ned will get left behind."

Frank frowned "I doubt it."

~*~*~*The Deadly Song*~*~*~

"You're with the Hardy Boys!?" Bess exclaimed over the phone "And you're heading to Paris?"

"Yep." George answered as she tossed some clothes into her suitcase.

Nancy and George had gone by the Drew home first, then Nancy had gone to help George pack.

"Oh!" Bess wailed "I _always _pick the worst times to leave town!" a loud huff came over the line "I could have sang with Joe!" then there was silence for a moment "Is he... flirting with anyone?"  
"Joe?" George laughed "Are you serious? If he didn't it'd be against nature's law!"

"Typical." the blond muttered then there was silence again.

Nancy tossed George a pair of shoes to pack.

"Bess?" George said curiously "Are you there?"

"Yep." Bess answered immediately "So the Hardy Boys, huh?"

George sent Nancy a strange look "Didn't we already discuss this?"

"Yes yes, we did." Bess said "So.. how's Nan taking seeing Frank again?"

Nancy froze and George cringed "Um, Bess..."

"Are sparks flying like usual?"

"Bess, Nancy's..."

"Oh wait. Ned's there, isn't he?"

"Yes, but Bess..."

"Of course." Bess clicked her tongue "Well, regardless of him, is Nancy still glowing in his presence?"

George buried her face in a T-shirt "Bess!"

"Come on, George! We talk about this all the time! What's going on between those two?"

George sighed and dropped the shirt "I don't know Bess. Why don't you ask her?"

Bess gasped "She's not there... is she?"

"Yep."

The girl on the other end laughed nervously "He he... um... April Fools?"

George shook her head "Oh yeah. That's working perfectly."

"Call ya later. Bye." then Bess hung up.

George returned the phone to the cradle and turned to her red headed friend nervously.

Nancy just stared at her unblinking, her eyebrows slightly furrowed and an unreadable expression on her face.

"_Here we go." _George thought _"3... 2...1 and..."_

"What was that all about?" Nancy suddenly blurted "You and Bess talk about me and Frank? All the time?" she ran her hand up through her hair "George!"

"It's not really all that." George answered weakly "We just talk about you two in... mystery terms."

"Then what was all the 'sparks flying' and me glowing in his presence?" Nancy shook her head in frustration "That doesn't sound like 'mystery terms' to me."

George sighed "Nancy, if you want me to be honest I will. But you'll have to chill."

Nancy took a deep breath then nodded "Go."

"Okay." George swiped her short brown curls from her face "We all know that you and Frank Hardy are attracted to each other. There's no way to miss it."

Nancy felt her face flush "Attracted?"

"Nan, face it, you and Frank are just..." she searched for the right word "So compatible."

"Compatible?"

"Okay, maybe that's not the word that should be used but..." George shrugged "I think we all know if it wasn't for Callie and Ned you two would probably be an object right now."

Nancy opened her mouth to object but closed it right back. She knew it was true. She'd thought it herself several times. She tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and sighed "We'd better finish packing."

George nodded "Yeah." she was quiet for a moment before she spoke again "Hey, Nan. Since we're on the subject, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Nancy answered, though she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know.

"Which do you love more, Frank or Ned?"

"George!" Nancy gasped "You should..."

"Seriously Nancy." George cut in "Just tell me."

Nancy felt her heart drop "We really should get packed, George. The flight leaves in just a few hours."


End file.
